Jun 21 LORAC PRO PALETTE VS URBAN DECAY NAKED PALETTE

Everyone goes nuts for the Urban Decay Palettes. However, I want tell you who may be better suited for which eyeshadow palette. I know decisions can be tough and the answer isn't always cut and dry.

>>Lorac Pro Palettes I actually love the packaging for these palettes. Not only are they great for consumers, they are great for pro makeup artists.

Why? They are thin.

They won't take up too much space in your makeup kit or your makeup bag at home. They are purse friendly too if you're that kind of gal. Magnetic closure keeps the palette secure.

The Lorac Pro Palette packaging is a nice quality paper packaging that is sturdy and substantial. Perfection.

>>Urban Decay's Naked PalettesUrban Decay's packaging is nice and sturdy. The newer palettes are made of aluminum/tin and great for those gals who are hard on their beauty bags.

Another nice quality about that aluminum/tin feature is that if you break something it won't leak as bad as a paper palette. However I do find that over time, the aluminum buckles and they won't close and align due to the metal fatigue.

In any case, both are great quality, but I prefer the sleekness of the Lorac Pro Palettes. This is entirely a personal choice.

While Urban Decay's Naked Palette texture is ok, the Lorac Pro Palettes is creamy, buttery almost a creamy powder texture. The eyeshadow texture is highly milled so it doesn't look chalky or ashy on the skin. Bonus.

The Lorac Pro palette also doesn't have a lot of "drop off" so application is easier for newbies. The shimmer shadows are also more sophisticated and chic over the Urban Decay. Lorac's glide on easily and easy to build on.

The other great feature that Lorac Pro Palette has over Urban Decay is the combination of textures. I love that Carol thought of having matte shades as well as shimmer shades in both collections. I call this your "work-to-play palette." More bang for your buck.

**Half of the Lorac Pro Palettes do have "shimmer in them" but because of the sophisticated milling of the product, they will look a little more wearable. If crepy eyelids are a concern, test out before buying.

Urban Decay's texture is decent but the shimmer pigments are chunkier.

What do I mean by "chunkier?"

The chunky pigment particles are what gives the shimmer and sheen payoff from the Urban Decay shadows and what gives them that metallic, "street fashion" look.

>>Ageless Beauty Tip: For anyone over the age of 40 this spells potential disaster. Heavy shimmer and metallic textures are best suited for younger eyelids, not dry flaky eyelids or mature eyelids. Your mileage may vary depending on texture of eyes. But the Naked Palettes have never been my go to palette for anyone over 40.

>>Pro Tip:For those of you who are over 30, the Lorac Pro Palette may be a better fit for you, while the Urban Decay palette is better for teens-20 somethings.

>>Side note: *For those of you over of 40, check out the Urban Decay Naked Basics. This is a great small palette for my over 40 gals! Basic and beautiful and great for every day.

>>PIGMENT

>>Lorac The pigment in the Lorac Pro Palettes is winning as well. They are very wearable and great for most all ages. I also had a nice time wetting them and using the darker shades as eyeliner with no problem with pigment or fading out as I built the coverage and intensity.

I think the color pigments of the Lorac Pro Palettes are also more wearable for a variety of skin tones over the Urban Decay palettes.

>>Urban DecayI find these are in the mid range pigment coverage. Depending on the brush you use, you can get more pigment with right application technique. I feel Lorac & Urban Decay pigment tends to run pretty similar.

>>What do I think of these palettes as a professional makeup artist?

Lorac Pro Palette- Everyday, work, first dates & when you want to be taken seriously.

>>WEARABILITY & PRICEBecause of the texture of the Lorac Pro Palette shadows, I had no problem at all blending these out. As a matter of fact, once again, I think the out performed Urban Decay's palette. They blended out nicely with synthetic brushes and with natural brushes, so blend-ability was a breeze. Urban Decay's do blend out nicely, but the texture of the Lorac shadows, are more sophisticated than the Urban Decay shadows.

I applied both eyeshadows to several models and wore for most of the day. We didn't notice any creasing with Lorac Pro Palettes but immediately saw creasing a few hours into the Urban Decay wear. More than likely due to the high shimmer pigment chunks that they are made from.

The Lorac Palette you get 16 shades & primer for $42. The Urban Decay Palettes you get 12 colors & brush for $54.

While you may get "more product" in the Urban Decay palette, I do find you get more bang for your buck for more wearable colors for the general population.

While I did choose the Lorac Pro Palettes over the Urban Decay, I think the Urban Decay palettes are fantastic for their target market. They are hip, cool and fun but not everyone is looking for that in a makeup line. If you are, however, then Urban Decay Naked Palette may be right up your alley.

As previously mentioned the Urban Decay Naked Basics is a staple in a few pro kits, so if you want to tryout the Urban Decay line, you get more bang for your buck with that palette alone. You can't go wrong with the Naked Basics in terms of everyday use. Think of that as your "Little Black Dress."

>> LORAC 1 or LORAC 2? I don't think you can go wrong with owning both Lorac Pro Palettes. The Lorac Pro 1 palette is more of your warmer brown tones that look good on everyone, while the Lorac Pro 2 palette leans more on the "cooler" side. It just really depends on your mood.

If you are a professional makeup artist, have both in your kit to suite a variety of different clients and skin tones. Undoubtably, Urban Decay has created quite a following and girls sitting in your makeup chair will be thrilled you have them. Even if it's nothing more than just "peace of mind."

You can purchase each of these palettes at Ulta. Or Urban Decay at Sephora.